Video: the unprecedented strategy of oral bacteria to colonize your mouth

An unsuspected microscopic world resides in your mouth. It is not just about bacteria, but veritable microbial forests with fascinating organization.

Among them, a recent discovery is shaking up our understanding of bacterial life in dental plaque. A microorganism is proliferating in an unexpected way.


Your mouth hosts more than 500 species of bacteria living in structured communities called biofilms. Among these bacteria, Corynebacterium matruchotii, present in dental plaque, divides not into two cells but sometimes into a significantly higher number, a process known as multiple fission.

This discovery comes from a collaboration between the Marine Biological Laboratory and ADA Forsyth. The team observed C. matruchotii cells dividing into up to 14 new cells, a rare phenomenon. These bacteria elongate only at one pole, through a mechanism called "polar growth."

In dental plaque, C. matruchotii forms a kind of scaffold that supports other bacteria. This mode of reproduction allows these bacteria to create dense networks at the core of the plaque, giving them a competitive advantage in this environment. According to the researchers, this unique strategy could be an adaptation to the particularly dense and competitive habitat of dental plaque. The work builds on a 2016 study that used advanced imaging to map the spatial organization of dental plaque.


This accelerated mode of reproduction explains why plaque reforms so quickly after brushing your teeth. C. matruchotii bacteria can grow up to a half millimeter (about 0.02 inches) per day. This study opens new perspectives for managing oral health. It could lead to more effective strategies to prevent dental diseases and broaden our understanding of human microbial communities.